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A guide to the 2016 harvest: Australia

2016 was a positive harvest for Australia overall, with high volumes of very good quality wine produced across most regions.

Here is a round-up of the harvest by region:

South AustraliaOverall a vintage of good quality and high volumes. The Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills are all reporting slightly above average crops, with very good quality – a welcome change after some below average volume vintages.

RiverlandThe 2016 harvest produced slightly above average production on whites and average on reds. The quality looks to be very good, with fresh white wines and very flavoursome reds.

VictoriaYarra Valley had one of the earliest and quickest vintages for many years, with even Cabernet Sauvignon mostly all harvested by mid-march. Volumes were up from 10 to 20%, with quality seemingly very good overall.

New South WalesDespite spring hail reducing the crop levels to well below average and heavy January rains resulting in early picking, many wineries in the Hunter Valley were extremely pleased with the quality of their Semillon, noting ripe flavours despite the early picking.

Tasmania2016 was a difficult vintage for Tasmania, with large bushfires in the north causing concern. Yields were generally low and it was a cool vintage with regular rain. Some highlights are being reported, but overall it was a challenging year.

Western AustraliaAverage tonnage is expected and quality is reported to be good. Merlot appears a little weak, possibly affected by the January rain, but the quality of both Cabernet and Shiraz is reportedly very good. Demand for wine remains strong following the lower crops of the 2015 vintage.

Find out more about the 2016 harvest across the rest of the Southern Hemisphere.

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